Top ASP Pro Junior Surfers standout in latter rounds

The PXM International Vans Pro saw two of the top ASP North America Pro Junior Series surfers take advantage of the three-to-five foot surf on offer and advance into the Quarterfinals.
Blake Howard (Carpinteria, CA), 26, was also in form today, netting the dayís highest single wave score of a near-perfect 9.0 out of a possible 10.

The ASP WQS offers surfers a chance to qualify for the prestigious ASP World Tour, with the ASP WQS’ top 15 seeds advancing on to the coveted tour each year.

Cory Arrambide (Ventura, CA), 19, who won the ASP North America Pro Junior Series this year, advanced into the Quarterfinals of the PXM International Vans Pro. Arrambide has been taking advantage of the amazing surf on offer this week, claiming that the waves at Puerto Escondido have been the best waves he’s surfed in a contest.

“These are the best waves I've ever had in a contest,” Arrambide said. “Yesterday I got three barrels in one heat.”

The talented goofy-footer is using the PXM International Vans Pro as a warm up for the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships held in Narrabeen, Australia this January, where he will tackle the world’s finest junior competitors in an attempt to take the title of ASP World Junior Champion.

“I'm very psyched for that contest,” Arrambide said. “I'm just surfing, training and getting my boards organized. That will be the biggest event of my career.”

Andrew Doheny (Newport Beach, CA), 16, finished third on the ASP North America Pro Junior series and will accompany Arrambide to the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships. The young Californian posted the day’s highest heat total of 15.50 out of a possible 20 by utilizing his polished barrel-riding skills in order to advance into the latter rounds of the ASP WQS event. The Quarterfinals berth for Doheny marks his personal best performance in an ASP WQS contest.

“Puerto is a great wave and this is the farthest I've ever advanced in a WQS event,” Doheny said. “My heat was kind of a flat heat. It was getting smaller at that point, but I got one of the only barrels and a mediocre back up.”

The ASP World Qualifying Series 3-Star PXM International Vans Pro kicked off today in classic six foot (2 metre) offshore conditions at Puerto Escondido. Todayís action hosted Round 1 and the first four heats of Round 2.